The new Medicare bill that passed through Congress last week has been dubbed the greatest expansion of Medicare since its conception 40 years ago, and a savior to senior citizens relying on subsidized prescription drugs.
In truth, it is anything but. The bill is an added expense for millions of seniors, many of whom will be pushed out of Medicare, and a boon of over $86 billion for private pharmaceutical companies.
First, the bill forces people to make the choice of either staying in Medicare and paying increased premiums, where they can choose their doctor, or joining a private HMO. As a result, the new health plan would eliminate coverage for over 9 million senior citizens.
Second, the bill offers a prescription drug benefit, but forces people to purchase it from private insurance companies whose rates continue to rise, rather than through Medicare.
If the Republican leadership really wanted to provide affordable drugs for senior citizens, why would it explicitly prevent Medicare, with its huge purchasing power, to negotiate lower drug prices?
The reason is that the bill is a pivotal step in the Republican plan to privatize basic social services. Soaring drug prices will inevitably bankrupt Medicare if the government cannot bargain.
Finally, while Republicans have touted the bill's provision to make the income tax on Medicare more progressive, i.e., the rich pay more to support the program. They fail to mention that people can now opt out of paying the tax altogether if they would like to switch to a private plan, thereby drastically accelerating the bankrupting of Medicare, and recklessly cutting the lifeline of millions of Americans.
Jared Fish
Trinity '05
Zeb Smathers
Trinity '05
The authors are co-presidents of Duke Democrats
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